Arizona police have arrested a man for allegedly swindling more than 1,000 Walmart stores in an elaborate scheme.
Thomas Frudaker, 23, was arrested by police in Yuma on June 13. He is accused of six felonies: two counts of theft, two counts of fraudulent schemes and two counts of criminal damage.
According to police, they were contacted by a Yuma Walmart when Frudaker attempted to return a computer with missing parts. The store reported that he purchased the computer that day at another area Walmart.
On further investigation, investigators said they uncovered evidence showing that Frudaker has committed fraudulent transactions at Walmarts across the country in the past 18 months, authorities said.
“These fraudulent returns have caused a monetary loss of approximately $1.3 million” to Walmart, the Yuma Police Department said in a statement.
Police have not provided additional details on how the alleged scheme worked.
A Walmart representative told Business Insider that the company has been aware of the alleged crimes and has spent the last several months trying to identify the person responsible.
“We have strengthened internal processes to identify and help prevent this type of criminal conduct,” the company said in a statement. “We appreciate the quick actions of our associate and swift response from the Yuma Police Department, which provided the break to make an arrest.”
According to the Retail Equation, a California-based company that helps retailers optimize customer transactions, return fraud costs retailers up to $17 billion annually in the U.S.
Frudaker, who was booked into the Yuma County Adult Detention Facility, is being held on a $100,000 bond. Jail records do not list an attorney for him.
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